SuzukiSavage.com - How much cam chain slack is acceptable?

Paraquat

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How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
07/07/12 at 23:18:15

So I've been dealing with my car tossing a rod recently and haven't had time for the bike.
I got all that straightened out and it's bike time again.
I did some mild porting and slapped the head back on tonight. I was trying to set the chain and I kept running into a slight amount of error.

First off I didn't pull the stator cover so I can't see the "T" as my worthless Clymer's manual states. Instead, while the head was off, I rotated the piston until I saw it at the top and the scribe on the stator pulley lined up with the notch in the stator cover.

I jiggled the cam gear around until I got it close but it seems like it's perpetually one tooth off.

I know, by my own eye, that the piston is at TDC when the line on the stator pulley is at the top to middle of the stator cover notch.
When that occurs the cam pulley has a slight angle to it.

If I move the crank so that the notch on the stator pulley (purple) is just beyond the notch on the stator cover and the piston has already started it's down stroke...

then the cam evens itself out...

I can write this off as cam chain stretch. I justify it in my head because it was already rattling in the danger zone (I've since gotten my Verslagen-ified tensioner) I just don't want to make a costly mistake now that I'm this close to riding again... as the season comes to an end.

I did try jogging the gear one tooth forward and one tooth backwards from the position I am at now but it only seems to get worse. This seems to be the closest I can get it.

Questions, comments, suggestions, concerns? Put my mind at ease, please!

--Steve

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
Reply #1 - 07/07/12 at 23:29:13

First off I didn't pull the stator cover so I can't see the "T" as my worthless Clymer's manual states.

Therres a TEE?

Instead, while the head was off, I rotated the piston until I saw it at the top and the scribe on the stator pulley lined up with the notch in the stator cover.

scribe on the stator pulley lined up with the notch in the stator cover.

Yea,, thats what the zuki book says to line up..

Then ya put the cam in lumps down, lines horizontal,

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Paraquat Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2206	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #2 - 07/07/12 at 23:34:10 I guess good is good enough in this case then? Let it eat! --Steve
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #3 - 07/07/12 at 23:41:55 Yea, I dont think mine came out perfectly horizontal, You didnt get it a tooth off,,or youd know it,
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verslagen1

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Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
Reply #4 - 07/07/12 at 23:59:37

If you just put in the second hole and if the plunger is mostly in... (had the cam off and you didn't measure the chain?... tch tch tch) you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
alignment with a stretched chain... it's not going to be perfect. but try to get it horizontal. Now because the chain is stretched, the lines will be high on the forward side and low on the other.

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Paraquat Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2206	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #5 - 07/08/12 at 08:20:45 Higher on the exhaust side? The opposite of my first picture? It's possible to put that notch right back in line and get the cam line to angle up towards the exhaust. Or maybe I should stop being such a cheapskate and order a new chain. --Steve
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #6 - 07/08/12 at 08:24:26 How far is the tensioner sticking out?
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Paraquat Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2206	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #7 - 07/08/12 at 08:37:10 Haven't put it on yet. I've just been taking out the slack with my left hand while the right hand takes the picture. I'll toss it in there and snap a pic after lunch. EDIT: This was my tensioner BEFORE the Veslagen mod. --Steve
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
Reply #8 - 07/08/12 at 08:46:17

No, no,, dont bother,, I missed the part about the Verslavy,,just do that, dont spend the $$ on a chain,, thats the whole reason for the Verslavy mod is to wring the last bit of goody outta the chain.

Im just waiting on someone to try to mod their tensioner so it has fewer teeth,, & see if they dont double the chain life,

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Paraquat Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2206	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #9 - 07/08/12 at 11:32:20 With the patent pending Verslagen in place... The cam still dips down towards the exhaust side of the head. I'm just gonna put the valve cover on, set the lash, and spin it by hand to feel for interference. --Steve
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable? Reply #10 - 07/08/12 at 11:38:27 Make sure ya get theleft front bolt in & the center one in the head cover.
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Paraquat

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Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
Reply #11 - 07/08/12 at 13:18:17

Hehe. I remember that from doing that plug cap almost a decade ago.

The engine is out of the bike currently so I'm hoping I can slip it in (giggity).
I broke the L115 bolt during disassembly. I had ordered a new BOLT HEAD COVER
09103-06052
from boulevardsuzuki.com
http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=82418&categor...

Instead of a 6x1.0x115mm long (detail 18) I instead received a large flange head 10x1.5x25mm long with the correct part number on the packaging.
I just inspected all the VC bolts and found that my 6x1.0x125 (detail 17) had stretched and that I'm missing my 6x1.0x60 (detail 19 on that diagram)
I could replace the 60mm long bolt with one from Lowes but I'm SOL on the 115 and 125 so I'm kind of dead in the water for now. I suppose I could wrassle it into the frame and put the bolts in later when they arrive. Not like there's any shortage of work to be done.

--Steve

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Re: How much cam chain slack is acceptable?
Reply #12 - 07/08/12 at 19:56:29

There is a bolt you can't put in WITH THE HEAD CAP in place. It has to go in the head cap first, assuming the engine is in the frame. There is a diagram in the tech section to show you which one. Also, becareful of the bolts that go in near the rocker shafts. If the shaft slides the bolt won't go in. Luckily for me there was an access screw at the end of the shaft to I could move it out of the way without a teardown. hth

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